Stray cat in Coventry bit and scratched two people. Then it tested positive for rabies.
"If you have had contact with an animal and you are not sure of its vaccination status, please contact us," Coventry Police Chief Benjamin Witt said in a news release. "Please take a minute to check your animal's rabies status. If you are unable to locate a rabies certificate for your animal, we advise you to contact your veterinarian to make arrangements to booster the rabies vaccination."
Witt sent out the advisory after a resident trapped a stray cat "that was acting abnormally" on July 8. The cat was trapped at a home on Newell Court, off Main Street. The resident was bitten and scratched, and an animal control officer, who'd responded to a call from the resident, was also bitten and scratched, Witt said in the release.
Because of the circumstances, the Rhode Island Department of Health tested the cat for rabies, and the results came back positive.
"Both the resident and our Animal Control Officer were medically treated following the test results. We are working with the resident to locate any additional stray cats in that area," Witt said.
What you should know about rabies?
Rabies is a fatal disease if it is not treated before the onset of symptoms, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Anyone who may have had direct contact with the cat should immediately call the health department's Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at (401) 222-2577 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or (401) 276-8046 after hours so a nurse can assess your exposure and determine if you should receive treatment, the health department said. Rabies treatment must be started as soon as possible after exposure and before symptoms appear, the department said.
Anyone who thinks their pet may have come into contact with the cat should call the health department, the local animal control officer and the pet's veterinarian, the health department said.
All dogs, cats and ferrets are required by state law to have current vaccination against rabies. Vaccinating pets prevents them from getting rabies and prevents people from becoming exposed to rabies through their pets, according to the health department.
When was the last case of rabies in Rhode Island?
The last case of rabies in Rhode Island for a domesticated animal was in 2018, when a cat tested positive, according to the health department. The last case of rabies in a human in Rhode Island was in 1940, the health department said.
The health department makes the following recommendations to prevent rabies:
Make sure all dogs, cats and ferrets are up to date on rabies vaccination.
Securely cover all garbage cans so wild animals cannot scavenge for food.
Avoid all contact with and do not feed stray or free-roaming domestic animals.
Do not feed your animals outdoors, as this will attract other animals. This is especially dangerous when feeding large numbers of free-roaming cats.
Protect your pets by always maintaining control; walk dogs on a leash or let them play in a fenced yard, and do not let pets wander unsupervised.
Report all animal bites to your city or town's animal control officer.
"As a reminder, please do not leave food outside for pets. Food will encourage stray or wild animals to come close to your home. If you feed a cat outside you are legally responsible for its care," Witt said.
Anyone who needs help with vaccinating their animal or further information can call Coventry AnimalControl at (401) 822-9106.
This story has been updated with new information.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Stray cat tests positive for rabies in Coventry, RI. What to know.
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